The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a worldwide free and open community focused on improving the security of application software. Our mission is to make application security "visible," so that people and organizations can make informed decisions about application security risks. Everyone is free to participate in OWASP and all of our materials are available under a free and open software license. The OWASP Foundation is a 501c3 not-for-profit charitable organization that ensures the ongoing availability and support for our work.

Many individuals start with OWASP as a user of a tool/guide or attending a local chapter. From that they may become a individual project leader on a new tool/guide or may serve on the board of a local OWASP chapter. Becoming a member of one of the Global Committees is not only a great achievement in the technical community, but is an opportunity to directly impact the future of OWASP Foundation.

Global Committees are designed to develop a committee plan and then work on a global effort with your peers from around the world. Ideally you nominate a peer as a regional spokesperson and he/she is the conduit for global issues that has approx., 10 hrs per month to volunteer time to OWASP Foundation.

To encourage focus and participation, we suggest that volunteers contribute to ONE COMMITTEE only. Individuals are welcome to participate in whatever committee they prefer, but may only be officially elected to serve on one committee.

This NEW ROLE was announced at the OWASP Portugal Summit and several individuals were nominated from the floor of the event and a motion was approved at the public board meeting in November 2008. There is still time.... If you were not at the event and would like to get involved with a global role and are either a project leader or chapter leader and it must be supported by 5 endorsements of you regional peers*. We are calling this the "2009 2nd wave applicants"

Note that to prevent conflict of interest, Board members cannot endorse candidates for any committee nor can a committee member endorse a candidate for their own committee. Committee members may endorse candidates for other committees to which they do not belong.

Committee members who wish to transfer between committees, should discuss this with their current committee first. They must begin a new application for the committee they want to move to.